An Instrumental Touch

Description

An Instrumental Touch is the third multiple CD set (along with Into the Mountain and the collection titled The Acupuncture Set) by Mikio’s Mountain Castle Band and is the twelfth full CD in the Vintage American Music Collection. Most of the songs in this set are composed and arranged by Mikio Sankey with the exception of “Country Girl” and “Festival of Hearts” which are co-authored by Mikio and his brother Edwing. There is an additional bonus song at the end of the second CD called “Waltz For Sarah” which was composed and arranged by Edwing Sankey. “Waltz For Sarah” is a jazz duet played with Edwing on ukulele and Cal Bezemer on piano.
Most of the songs are recorded using the regular Mountain Castle Band lineup of Mikio on lead and rhythm guitar, Peter Assing on various saxophones (tenor, alto and soprano), Mike Albert on lead guitar, Paul ILL on electric and upright basses and Ronnie Ciago on drums and percussions. On several of the songs, Chris Wonzer played drums instead of Ronnie Ciago. A few of the songs were recorded with an older lineup of the Mountain Castle Band with Edwing on lead guitar, zithers and butterfly harp, Tadashi Namba on keyboards and Lester McFarland on bass. Whenever guest musicians were used in any of the recordings, they are listed under that song.
This collection of songs is titled An Instrumental Touch and consist of two CD’s. The title for this project was chosen because several of the songs have minimal vocals at the beginning or at the end and the overall project is not strictly an all-instrumental collection of songs. The first of the two CD’s is called “For the Thinking Listeners.” Overall the songs on “For the Thinking Listeners” CD require a little more attention to best be appreciated. A few of the songs have slightly more complex chord changes and were not written to be listened to as background music. The songs have more of a jazz-flavored style solos. The second CD in the An Instrumental Touch set is called “A Smoother Breeze” and has a more mellow, relaxing sound to the songs. These songs are more in the easy listening rock and world music mode with a couple of easy listening jazz tunes.